Purpose for Pain

I had a discussion with someone today, who thought that seeing a purpose for the chronic pain I experience was foolishness. While I disagree, it would be “foolish” to argue the point with him. Instead, I thought to share my insight on this blog.

First, pain makes us realize that something is wrong. Too often we try to alleviate the pain but do not look into the root cause of the problem, whether this is physical, mental, emotional or spiritual pain. So when there is pain, something needs to be soothed, but also fixed/corrected.

Second, pain is an opportunity to learn humility. Please understand I don’t imply that one needs to be put through pain or humiliation to “learn humility.” In our day-to-day struggle, we reach a point when we experience pain. When the pain becomes unbearable, we realize we do not have the resources alone to overcome the problem. We need to tell the ego, “You are not enough” and open ourselves to assistance. This calls for humility.

Third, pain presents a beautiful opportunity to pray. We can pray for the pain to subside, for comfort, for guidance, for healing. But even more important, when we admit to others that we need help, we open ourselves to become an opportunity for others to pray as well. Any connection to the Divine is a blessing to the soul, yours and others.

Forth, pain provides those around you an opportunity to do some good in the world. This can range from help at home, to help at work, to assistance from a stranger with lifting groceries into the car or holding open a door. Every bright moment helps create a better world.

Fifth, pain can also teach us to use our minds better. We can focus on the negative – the pain. Or we can use our mind to focus on positive images, prayers, meditation, healing, etc. It is something we can all learn. Research has shown that our mind / thoughts do directly affect our physical bodies and well being. Instead of focusing on the bad; we can learn to focus on the good.

Sixth, I found that I needed to learn how to accept healing, prayers and blessings from others. I needed to accept that I was worthy of both God's Love and theirs, and I had to learn how to open myself to these. This, I admit, I am still trying to learn. There have been many stumbling blocks I’ve put down over the years. But, at last, they are starting to lift.

Seventh, it is a means through which I learn about and understand pain others in this world suffer. It is not a pleasant lesson, but it evokes a great amount of compassion and acknowledgment at the strength found in those who deal with pain over many years, especially those who cannot easily alleviate the pain.

Finally, I have also not let the pain go to waste; I lift the pain as an offering to others of this world. While I know I am not Christ, I am a Christian. I try to follow in His steps. I know He offered His own pain as an offering. While I am already experiencing pain, rather than self-inflicting or inflicting it on others, perhaps this suffering can be used to some good in this world. Even if it is something beyond my understanding...

~ ESA

Please Don't Be Angry...

Those who know me well, know I truly enjoy rhyming on Twitter. There are days when I find myself too busy to tweet or write. But there are also other times I need to steer clear from Twitter because, inside, something is not right. While I am still not that comfortable sharing some inner struggles with my readers, this wanted to be shared...


Most of my readers are at least familiar with the Gospel accounts of Yeshua/Jesus the Christ. Many will agree that He loves all of us, even shared company with those who others believed were the dregs of society. He wept with some; He laughed with many. But He would get angry too...


The accounts that spring to my mind are times when His temper flared. He mocked, yelled, even trashed a temple market place. When I look back over the accounts, I find that Christ didn't get THAT mad at every person's sins / mistakes. What really fired Him up was when those who were called to bring people to God (or at least played that part in society), were not doing what they should. Instead, those people were lapping up the benefits of the spotlight, the best seat, the riches, the belief that they were the favored/chosen ones well above all, worthy to judge and belittle the rest. Yet they saw no blemish within themselves.

In a round-about way, that's what brings me to periods of silence on Twitter. I Love Yeshua/Jesus with all my heart. I don't want ANYthing to come between us, even my own stubborn stupidity at times. I understand the ramifications of taking on the twitter name of @JesusSister. While I love Him as dear as a little sister loves, admires, respects and wants to imitate her big Brother, I also know my place: that is OUTside the spotlight.

As any who are in the spotlight can tell you, regardless if it's the entertainment industry, political arena, office politics or even the family favorite: the spotlight feels good. Kudos and praise from others are very, very sweet, like a rich dessert. But like a dessert's calories, the spotlight has a price too.

When someone speaks on affairs of the soul, of God, or starts the path to uplift the spirits of another, we have a responsibility. We need to continue on a path that let's GOD shine - not us. It is so easy - so very, very easy - to be caught up in the euphoria of public praise, even just a few people's high-opinion, that we can start thinking ourselves above them, better than them. So very smoothly we transition from a voice guiding someone to the loving arms of God to the very same hearts and minds of the pharisee's that Christ raged against.

There are days such sweet praise encourages me to continue to share the blessings and nuggets. At the same time, I grow very frightened for I do not want to become like the Pharisee's or similar modern-day preachers and prophets.

• Wow wow wow, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you SO much : )
• TY, dear one. Lovely words, as always. You truly are a positive influence on many!
• I sooooo ℓσνє your poetic gιfтιиg. It cheers and encourages my нєαят. May God bless u in those spectacular of ways. ツ
• That was beautiful, TY!
• Sincerity of Heart in it's fervency demonstrates the Love of God for all to see...this you do Little Sister,this you do! :)
• Your tweet made my day and gave me hope, thank u sister
• You really know how to lift a sister up. ツ
• Ur words r divine......:)))
• she is smart
• Amen! And thank you for this.
• a message to the Soul so fair.. -you do the fine rhyme
• You have been blessed with the gift of being able to write what other can only feel but have no words for.
• caring heart, abounding in His Love!
• Love your tweets!! :)
• @JesusSister is such a blessing. Her poetical gifting is simply marvelous. Please #ff her.
• Please follow @JesusSister ... Follower her as I follow Christ..... #agape

I think the last one nails where I am trying to go with this. It frightens me! Glory & praise should be for God, not me. Yes, I do need the encouragement and I sincerely appreciate the kind words sent my way. I know they are from good hearts who are not trying to entrap me. Please don't think I am saying that.

But at the same time, I need to watch myself all the closer when such sweet praise comes. I can not lap it up. I cannot grow fat with it. I cannot sit in the spotlight for the Song in my heart that I sing isn't from me alone.

Humility.

I need humility so bad some days it hurts within and tears flow. I really don't want Christ mad at me. I love Him too much. The spotlight here should never be so sweet that I want it instead of Christ's smile. Instead, I turn to Yeshua/Jesus, away from Twitter, and wait patiently until the sparkles fade and I can sing notes clearly again. Without Him, all my words would be only to bring myself praise, and thus wither on the vine.

Without Christ, my Song will turn bitter
I see myself above brothers and sisters
Instead of beside them where I belong
Where Christ still is today...

- ESA

Obstacles and Tools

As one strives to grow spiritually, one recognizes and overcomes obstacles that impede growth. Often, these can be summed up in two words: Fear and Self-Pride.

Fear hinders our efforts to open our hearts and reach out to others. It prevents us from leaving comfortable situations for something new and unknown. Fear of failure stills hands and tongues more often than any criticism, reprimand or outside threat.

Self-Pride - feeling that I am greater or stand taller than others in someone's eyes (including God's) - leads to prejudice, ostentation, greed, jealousy, bitterness, lies, and corruption of the soul. With it, one's eyes remain on oneself and not where they should be.

Then there's the combination of the two: when one allows fear of what others think of them to alter what one is inspired to do. That defeats the purpose, for in changing it one weakens or kills it. Or worse, changes it's message or intent.

Within our possession we have tools to counter this.

Faith and Trust work together to form the Courage that sees us through the Fear. Faith and Trust in God opens us to Guidance and Understanding of things that were beyond us, helping us break the illusion fear often holds before our eyes.

We also bring out the best in others by believing in them and trusting them to do the right thing. Yes, we will get hurt, for the world is not perfect. But it's good-faith efforts that allows humanity to collaborate. And when we work together, something amazing happens: We accomplish far more than the sum of our individual efforts!

Humility is hard to maintain, but it keeps the ego down to a manageable size. It helps one to see the the false glitter of lies and LAUGH in it's face! It will not be in standing before people but in serving people that things progress. For in working for and with one another, we grow. Those that stand proudly in front oft are the ones blocking the progress.

Keeping our eyes off ourselves is one of the hardest things. Each year we celebrate our own birth. Attention is given to individual grades in school; personal accomplishments are recognized. To get a job, we must tell people what we do and how well we do it. It's become our way of life.

We need to avert our eyes from a public, self-centered perspective to see what is outside of ourselves (others and their needs) and within ourselves (God's Love, Guidance and Wisdom).

Further, this leads to another tool: Prayer. When we know we are not alone, and when we realize we need help, we pray. Sometimes we bemoan our circumstances and ask for help. But when take our eyes off ourselves completely, praying for others and opening ourselves to His Guidance, we let His Love combine with our love.

And in serving humbly, we allow that Love to flow through our thoughts, works and words. When we focus on self, this is choked off. When we focus how WE are helping others, it is crippled. But when we move our focus off ourselves entirely, it flows sweetly.

When we get past the Fear and Self-Pride,
So many wondrous things happen.

-ESA

Tripod of Growth

There are three things that will help someone grow in Spirit and Soul. These are prayer, fasting and good works. Like three legs of a tripod, they must work together in harmony and balance; too much of one or not enough of another and the whole thing will fail.

Prayer is the direct communication between humanity and God. It's not a one-way monologue, as God does communicate to us even if only our Spirit can understand it. Nor should prayer be a wish list; we need to be open and ready to change and guidance for the help we request.

Fasting does not only mean to refrain from eating or to not eat certain foods. In a broader context, fasting means abstinence (an act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite) or a period of such abstention or self-denial. In essence, we refrain from something in our life as a means of self-discipline. It is often associated with something we enjoy (food being the most common, but also TV, internet, etc.), but it can also be abstaining from something we revile about ourself, such as lying, cheating or procrastination. When we take on the challenge of self-discipline through fasting, our strength to resist temptation grows.

Good Works are anything we can do to help another in this world. For these good works to count in personal growth, they must be done either in secret or accomplished in such a way that as few people as possible know who is doing these works. This is the most difficult leg to develop. Often we are tempted to illustrate the good works that we do (see prior posts), but that only deflates the values of the good works. The good works need to stand on their own merit without our shouting about it or putting a spotlight on it. If it's a true good work, the act, deed, word or work WILL stand on its own. Others will see it or the results and KNOW "this is a good thing."

Not only does the good works need to be done in secret, they MUST be done for the benefit of another. When we do good works to better ourselves, we only serve ourselves. If a work is done so we can brag about it, add it to our resume, or call attention to ourself, sadly we have already received our reward and it does not serve to support our personal growth.

Only when we truly help another selflessly does the work itself take us to the personal growth we seek. This is often best accomplished through humility. When we humbly serve another, seeking nothing for ourselves, something grows within us, opening us up to greater awareness and ways we can perform even greater works. But if we seek this greater awareness and ways first, we will only find deception, corruption and lies as the enemy will use this to lead us astray.

That is why humility plays a key role here.

It's a tricky path.
But worth it.
Always.

-ESA